By definition a shepherd is a person who cares and protects. In ancient cultures, shepherds were a prevalent group of workers, seen by many people who would go to great lengths to protect their flock, even to giving their life. It is no wonder that our Lord Jesus used the image of a shepherd as he described the manner by which he cares for and protects us. Through his life and ministry Jesus cares for us by living
a life that reflects his commandment to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. And Jesus protects us by giving his life for us, and raising us up with him to new life with God for all time.
"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep." - St. John 10:14-15 (NRSV)
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (LCGS) is a community of believers who heard God's call and have been gathered together to share Word and Sacrament. In his
"Small Catechism," in the explanation of the Third Article of the Apostle's Creed
(which begins "I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion
of saints, . . .), Martin Luther (left) wrote that the Holy Spirit "calls, gathers,
enlightens, sanctifies, and keeps" us as His people. Around 1970 the members of two
congregations in east Lancaster were "called" and "enlightened"
to join together to proclaim Jesus Christ in a new location outside the city limits.
A rich
history, the congregation was established in May 1971 from the merger of Advent Lutheran
Church, East Orange Street, and St. Mark's Lutheran Church, South Ann Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Both
parent congregations were a result of Sunday School classes and were organized in
1899 and 1902, respectively. On May 21, 1972, the name changed from Advent/St.
Mark's to Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd.
Since the building's dedication in 1973, LCGS has had a growing congregation.
So much so, that in 1989 more space was added for the following: classrooms, choirs, the library, office and work aread, a larger kitchen and social hall facility and a larger parking area.
LCGS is a congregation of the
Lower Susquehanna Synod (LSS) of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with its headquarters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the LSS covers a 9-county area and has 271 churches, presided over by Bishop Pennrose Hoover. The LSS has links to Lutheran camps, seminaries, and advocacy and social ministry groups and to the ELCA, which has its headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. Bishop The Reverend Mark S. Hanson presides over 65 synods of the ELCA, the fifth largest Protestant denomination in the United States.
The wall sculpture of the Memorial Garden cross has become recognized as a valued part of our daily spiritual life. Its fragmented design reminds us of the many changes going on in our own lives -- and within the congregation.
It and the companion processional cross used during our services were created by sculptor George Mummert, an Artist in Residence at Millersville University.
Its unique design came about through his visit to the Basilica De Guadalupe in Mexico in 1986. A geometric patterned wall behind the basilica's altar was finished in gold leaf. Mr. Mummert said it was the inspiration for the Memorial Garden cross we see today and hopes it will provide a worthy focus for all who come to the Memorial Garden at Good Shepherd for meditation.
Whether one's concerns are of a medical, professional, spiritual or financial nature, the Memorial Garden cross has encouraged thoughtful reflection and prayer, and in the process brought comfort to those in need. In short, it helps us remember that only through God are all things made possible. For these reasons this cross serves as an effective visual "guidepost" as we set out to do God's work -- no matter where that may lead us.
When Advent Lutheran and St. Mark's Lutheran Churches both located in mid-city Lancaster merged, a congregational meeting was called to find a name for the merged church. Various names were submitted for vote; The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd was the favorite and the name we use today.
The architects, Bink & Bink from Harrisburg who designed the new church building included a drawing of a Good Shepherd Statue at the front entrance to the church to enhance the building and to give our church identity. At the time the church was built in 1973, the statue could not be included due to lack of finances.
January 1973, Robert Dale Coble, treasurer of the congregation and a very active member of Advent and Good Shepherd died an untimely death and the family asked those who would ordinarily give memorial gifts to do so with the hope that the statue could come to be. The memorial fund eventually reached almost $10,000 and we were able to start planning for the Good Shepherd statue. Mr. Coble's family continues to attend church at Good Shepherd.
A 12-foot, six-ton block of Indiana limestone arrived on Good Friday, 1974 on a flat bed truck that took two full days to reach the church and six husky men to unload the six-ton block. The Good Shepherd sculpture was begun and took three months to carve by Alois LiDauer Lidauer, a distinguished sculptor with a fine reputation in his Austrian homeland. His home in Salzburg was at the foot of the Austrian Alps and he was accustomed to working in cooler weather than Lancaster in July. Busloads of students would come daily from public schools, art schools and day camps in the Lancaster area to watch the carving and were totally in awe. Thirty-five years later many of those students as adults are still talking about the project and especially the carving of the lamb.
Mr. Lidauer finished the Good Shepherd in August that year. On his last day in Lancaster he had some final work to do on the feet of his creation as well as carve his name on it's base. With that he completed his commission.
The work stands 15-feet tall including the base. The statue is over twice life size and the sculptor was very pleased with the finished work of art. He said it would have taken much longer, but the weather was almost perfect the three months he was in Lancaster. The local "Sunday News" rated a picture of the Good Shepherd Statue (left) as the Photographer's Choice in their June 23, 1974 issue.
